Missouri House Moves To Make Trafficking Abortion Pills Illegal

A Missouri House committee passed legislation that would make trafficking abortion drugs illegal but removed a plan to ban abortions in the case of life-threatening ectopic pregnancies.

The bill, HB 2810, sponsored by state Rep. Brian Seitz (R) makes illegal the moving, making and distributing of abortion-inducing drugs. Any violation of the bill could land an offender in prison for up to 15 years.

Planned Parenthood testified in front of the committee, arguing strongly against the bill.

“The use of these medications helps make certain procedures safer and more comfortable for patients. This bill could make it impossible for Missourians to access these medications for any reason,” the organization said. “Criminalizing the import, export, distribution, delivery, and production of these medical tools and medicines could open manufacturers up to investigations and penalties, which could create a chilling effect on manufacturers and distributors.”

Banning abortions in the case of ectopic pregnancies, which occurs when an egg grows outside of the uterus, were removed from the bill after an intense hearing two weeks ago. Ectopic pregnancies are fatal for the fetus and are extremely dangerous for the mother.

The new version also adds that though anyone who traffics abortion drugs will be prosecuted, women who receive an abortion will not be prosecuted.

Next, the bill heads to the state Senate, where state Sen. Caleb Rowden (R) previously said the first version would be “DOA” if it passed through the House.

Missouri is considering additional abortion laws, including one proposal that would make it illegal for Missouri citizens to have an out-of-state abortion. The proposal would allow private citizens to sue anyone who aids a Missouri resident in going through with an abortion and is set to be voted on before May.